Page 73 of Grand Escape

“I see you’re prepping for my talents.”

“Shhh,” she said without turning around.

“Okay. I’ll be a good boy.”

“Where to?” I asked about thirty minutes later, my arm around Rylan and her head on my shoulder.

“Where?” Her voice cracked, and I could tell she wasn’t sure what I meant.

“Your place or mine?”

Relief washed over her face. “Clearly, the whole place knows about us. Do you have a tub?”

“I do. In fact, I have the same villa I had the last time I was here.”

“Pulled out all the stops, I see.”

Holding her close, I walked us toward the main building. Up the path we went, my palm on her lower back, her scent intoxicating me.

“Actually, it was more like all the tips. I swear, the girl at the front desk was playing me. She kept saying she remembered me but couldn’t place me.”

“I’ll have to ask around, but I can’t get your money back.”

Drawing to a stop and gathering her in my arms, I did what I’d wanted to do all night. I kissed Rylan, allowing my lips time to explore and my tongue to wander.

Finally taking a step back, I looked into her eyes, aglow in the moonlight. “Do you not know me? I would never take back tip money.”

“I was teasing,” she said, admitting what I already knew.

“It was a good excuse to kiss you. Plus, Sarah promised me I’d have the villa I wanted if I left Chewy alone. With only a week left until I got here, I agreed.”

We started walking again, my hand resting on her lower back. It itched to run up the back of her minidress, but I resisted.

Rylan glanced at me. “I can’t believe Chewy and Sarah didn’t mention anything. We were talking almost every day. But I should have known when I got assigned to this project that Chewy was a double agent.”

“Other than keeping his mouth shut, not a very good one. He didn’t find out much. Like if you’ve been dating.”

Without looking at me, Rylan shook her head. “If one girls’ night on the town where I talked to an ex for five minutes counts, then I am.”

“An ex?” I did my best to keep my tone even as a flash of jealousy raged through my chest.

“Yeah, he told me I couldn’t be alone for the rest of my life, and to stop being so tough.”

“Hmm, sounds to me like he was right, but I don’t think he’s the guy for you.”

“Stop fishing for compliments,” she said, turning and whispering the last part in my ear as we neared my villa.

“Oh, that bite ...”

“He mentioned my bite too. And before you get carried away, it only made me think of you.”

Ocean air buffeted us as we rounded the corner, and we were at my door.

“Well, no need to think anymore, because here I am.”

“Here you are,” she whispered, and we stared at each other for a moment before she broke the tension. “I kind of want to pinch myself to be sure that this is really happening, but the tub is in there and my feet are aching.”

I slipped my keycard into the door and held it open. She crossed the threshold, and I knew then I’d made the right decision in coming back to the Grand.